The Score Upon Which Reality Is Written
by Shannon730
Summary: Jack wants to change one part of Ianto's past to make him happier in the present and future, but it doesn't go as planned.
1. Prologue

b**Prologue**/b

i_June 2007_/i

"It's not a good idea, Jack," the Doctor said. "You were a Time Agent. You know how badly things can go wrong when you change the past."

"It's just one small change," Jack argued, "and it's something that happens anyway just a few months later. I could argue that it i_should_/i have happened that day. I'm just fixing a mistake."

"But it didn't happen that day. She survived, at least sort of. You're considering changing someone's personal timeline."

"You do it every day."

"Jack…" the Doctor warned.

"He's suffering so much," Jack sighed. "He doesn't need to, shouldn't have to. I go back and make this one change and he can live his life as he should, without all the guilt."

"Are you sure you've really considered all of the consequences of what you want to do?"

"Yes," Jack answered immediately. "I want him to be happy and I can give him that by doing this. I'm not asking you to go along, or to help. Just fix this, before I leave." Jack held his arm out toward the Doctor and pointed to his wrist with the other hand.

"Only use it for this," the Doctor said, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the wristband. "Don't abuse this, Jack. Remember if anyone sees you…"

"I'll be careful," Jack grinned. "I'll only change this one thing. It's not as if I don't know the damage that can be done when you play with time."

The Doctor and Martha watched Jack walk across the Plass until he disappeared around a corner.

"Do you really think he knows what he's doing?" Martha asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "I think he means well. I think he truly wants to help and believes this will do it. I just don't think it'll turn out the way he wants."

"Why?"

"Because Jack is so focused on one incident and a singular effect he's forgotten that many things can be affected by one small ripple in time."

"The Butterfly Effect?" Martha asked.

"Exactly. Now we just need to hope Jack doesn't do more harm than good."

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

b**Part One**/b

i_June 2006_/i

Jack moved quickly and quietly through the building, using the chaos around him to hide. Daleks and Cybermen were everywhere; people were running, screaming, crying, terrified, so no one noticed one man in the crowd. No one cared. They didn't know him, had never seen him before, they were all more worried about their friends and coworkers, people they knew.

That didn't mean he didn't have to be careful, though. He couldn't risk running into anyone he idid/i know. The Doctor was here, so were Rose, Mickey, and Jackie. So were Yvonne and Ianto. He couldn't let any of them see him, time paradox and all that. He just had to find the room with the Cyberconversion unit and wait for Lisa to be brought in and make sure she was converted or dead before Ianto found her.

It did briefly occur to him that he could also change Ianto's life and make him happier by preventing Lisa Hallett from going into the conversion chamber at all, but he dismissed that idea quickly. He still wanted to be with Ianto, he just didn't want to see him so unhappy for so very long because of a misplaced sense of guilt over the death of his girlfriend. If Lisa Hallett died here, then her death wouldn't fall on Ianto's shoulders. He didn't fail this way; what happened here was beyond his control.

It took all of his control to ignore the fighting around him, to not help anyone. He couldn't, of course. The people that died here were supposed to die here; he couldn't change that. He had no intention of doing anything to change the past beyond helping Ianto. So he ran past them all, ignoring the falling bodies and the panicked screams.

The Daleks were the worst of it for him. Cybermen frightened him a little but he'd never really had to face them, apart from Lisa, and he'd won that battle. The Daleks, though, they had killed him. Sure, Rose had unwittingly brought him back but he'd still been killed by them once. Your first death sort of sticks with you. He still had nightmares about that day, about that death, even after more than a hundred years.

He found the room, or rather, found the line of people being forced to wait for their turn in the conversion chamber and he slipped into the line, close to the front so he'd be in the room before anyone could spot him. As soon as he passed the doors he moved as quietly as possible to slip into the small closet in the corner before he was seen. He left the door open just enough to see the people coming through the door, his gun gripped tightly in his hand.

His plan was simple enough; he'd wait for her to go in the chamber and shoot her only after the Doctor had stopped the Cybermen and she was left half changed. If his aim was good enough, no one would see the bullet hole and her death would be attributed to a conversion gone wrong. After all, there would be too many deaths today for them to look too carefully for a second cause of death.

center***/center

i_June 2007_/i

Jack quickly climbed the ladder into his office. He'd done it. He'd made sure Lisa Hallett had not survived the battle of Canary Wharf. He fought the guilt he felt over killing an innocent person in cold blood by justifying it in his mind with excuses like 'it was best for Ianto' and 'she hadn't really survived that day anyway, he was just saving her months of suffering'. Neither was really a lie; Ianto would be happier if he didn't have to live with the responsibility of helping Lisa or the guilt of her ultimate death. Lisa ihad/i suffered by surviving as she had; not really human anymore, not really a Cyberman. She was better off this way.

He opened his office door and saw Toshiko sitting at her desk. "Tosh," he called down to her. "Where's Ianto?"

Tosh looked toward the office, obviously surprised to see Jack standing on the steps. "Jack, where did you come from? When did you get back?"

Had they realized he was gone? He'd been careful to leave from and return to his room because there was no CCTV down there and no one ever went there. Just Ianto but not during the day unless he was collecting Jack's laundry, but he'd done that first thing that morning.

"I've been back for days," he said cautiously.

"No," she answered. "You called us weeks ago to tell us you weren't coming back. You were staying with the Doctor. You said that there was no reason for you to come back to Torchwood now. Doesn't matter, though. We've missed you. Who's Ianto? "

No reason not to come back? Of course there was; a year of being tortured by the Master had made him see many things more clearly. He realized how much he loved Ianto, and needed him in his life. He also realized how much he enjoyed being part of Torchwood now, how much he wanted to make a difference. Who's Ianto? What was she talking about? "Ianto Jones? Blue eyes, runs the tourist office, makes incredible coffee, looks great in a suit?"

Tosh raised an eyebrow and frowned at him. "Jack, the tourist office isn't real, it's just a cover. Always closed, remember? No one of that name works here. Never has."

Jack frowned; that didn't make sense. Of course Ianto worked here. "What about Owen and Gwen? Do they work here?"

"Of course they do, they're out investigating Rift activity. They'll be back soon."

This was insane. Why wouldn't Ianto be here? Tosh wasn't saying he quit when Jack left; she didn't even know who he was. She had even said Jack had left with the Doctor and said he wasn't coming back. None of it made any sense.

"Are you all right?" Tosh asked, moving closer to Jack. "You look…pale. Do you want me to have Owen come back?"

"No, no," Jack said quickly. "I'm fine. I just need to…I need to do some work in my office. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Before Tosh could answer he turned and ran back up the stairs and into his office, pushing the door closed before collapsing back into his chair. Something had gone wrong. Where was Ianto, if not at Torchwood? He turned and started typing on his computer quickly. The screen soon filled with the life of Ianto Jones. His birthday, place of birth, student records, arrests, job history all scrolled down the screen. Everything he'd seen before, when he'd first investigated Ianto so long ago. But now there was more. Something that wasn't there before, something he hadn't expected to see…

After Canary Wharf Ianto had fallen into a deep depression. Losing Lisa had left him alone with nothing to live for. He had shown up in Cardiff and had approached Jack for a job but this time when Jack turned him down he'd given up. It wasn't long before being jobless and alone, combined with the nightmares had destroyed him and he'd committed suicide.

That wasn't what was supposed to happen. He had wanted to help Ianto, not destroy him. He had to fix this, but he didn't know how. He couldn't risk going back to Canary Wharf again; it'd be too risky. He might run into himself and that would be disastrous. He'd have to leave that as it was, and just make sure he hired Ianto when he wanted the job at Torchwood Three. He'd have to do something to make himself realize he ineeded/i to hire Ianto. He started punching in numbers on his wristband. He'd have to find a way to make himself see that Ianto was worth hiring.

tbc


	3. Chapter 2

b**Part Two**/b

i_June 2006_/i

Jack appeared in the familiar quarters and quickly climbed the ladder, hesitating only when he reached the top and was ready to push open the door leading into his office. He was reasonably sure he'd timed everything right. The Hub should be empty now, unless he had the date or time wrong, in which case the Hub could be filled with his team. A team that would likely shoot first and ask questions later, particularly if they already had a Jack with them.

He slowly climbed into his office; the Hub was dark and empty. He glanced at the clock on the wall. He didn't have much time so he turned on the desk lamp and sat down, grabbed a pen and paper and began to write. He needed to explain as much as he could, without telling his past self too much of the future, but enough to get Ianto into Torchwood Three, and he needed to do it quickly. Finishing the letter he folded the paper, and slid it into an envelope. Just as he was sealing the envelope closed he heard the cog door sliding open. He glanced up in time to see himself pushing a Weevil through the door and toward the cells. He quickly scribbled his name on the envelope, propped it against the lamp, and turned off the light before punching buttons on his wrist band and disappearing from the room.

center***/center

Jack pushed the Weevil into the cell and slammed the door closed. He had hoped to bring it in and go to bed early. Tosh was testing another Rift Predictor and if it was working properly tomorrow would be a busy day. That wasn't going to happen though. Now he had to go find out who Ianto Jones was and why he knew about Weevils. Was this someone he'd need to retcon in the morning? Rubbing the quickly healing bite on his neck he headed upstairs to his office to run a background check.

Jack fell back into his chair as soon as he entered his office. He was tired and just wanted to get this finished so he could go to bed and forget about this entire night. He switched on his computer before turning on his desk lamp. His hand froze on the lamp when he saw the envelope propped against it. His name was written on it, in his own handwriting, but he hadn't left it there. He reached for it and turned it over in his hands slowly, examining it. Finally deciding it was safe to open, he pulled out the letter inside.

font face="segoe script"

I don't have much time to explain this so I'm just getting right to the point. I screwed up; I wanted to go back and fix a mistake and I made everything worse. Now you need to fix it.

If I did this right, you met a man tonight. Ianto Jones. He helped you with the Weevil you just brought in. You're in your office right now to run a background check. I could tell you what you'll find but you'll run the check anyway. He's going to find you again tomorrow though, and he's going to ask you for a job. You're not going to believe me now, but you have to hire him. It's important to him and to me—to you.

You won't want to hire him tomorrow, mostly because you won't believe this is real. You'll assume this is some kind of trick. But tomorrow night there will be Rift activity near the warehouses. You're going to find a pterodactyl. Call Ianto Jones, he can help you catch it. Trust me on this one.

Going to go now, before you get back and we have a time paradox to deal with. Just make sure you give Ianto a job. He'll make a great butler.

Captain Jack Harkness.

/font face="segoe script"

Jack frowned at the letter. It was his handwriting, and it wasn't as if he didn't know that time travel was possible, but he couldn't do it anymore. Of course, that didn't mean he hadn't fixed his wrist band in the future. Still, he couldn't just assume this was real. He went back to his computer and quickly started typing.

Ianto Jones had worked for Torchwood One, which explained the Weevil, so no need to retcon him. It also guaranteed that this kid would not be working for him. He had cut all ties to Torchwood One for a reason and he wasn't inviting it into his territory, no matter how good it looked in jeans. If this kid really wanted a job here, he wouldn't be surprised to discover that he'd found a way to leave him this letter telling him to hire him. It was an easy enough con: throw in a few comments to make it seem like it was someone who knew him very well, and then you have control. Mentioning the pterodactyl was a mistake, though; you should never throw in a prediction you can't guarantee. While Ianto Jones may know there would be Rift activity near the warehouses tomorrow—after all, no telling what kind of technology Torchwood London had—he couldn't possibly know what would come through. Sighing he shut down the computer and headed toward his quarters. He'd turn down Ianto Jones tomorrow morning and forget this whole thing.

center***/center

Ianto pushed the door closed and fell onto the bed, exhausted. He needed to get this job. He couldn't go back to working in a regular office. Torchwood had changed him. He knew things now, things that no one else knew about. Like Weevils, Daleks, and Cybermen. He'd watched his friends and coworkers die. He'd watched Lisa—well, he didn't watch her die, but he'd found her dead. She was one of the last ones taken to that conversion chamber. She was one of those failed conversions because the Cybermen were rushing and not properly converting so they could build their army faster.

He'd survived, one of the precious few to make it out alive. He was told he was lucky but he didn't see it that way. He'd lost his girlfriend, his friends, and his job. They believed they had compensated the survivors well, but in truth he didn't think there was enough money to replace what he had lost. Or to fix what he had been left with. No one could fix the nightmares he had every time he closed his eyes. No one could erase the screams that haunted his sleep. No one could make him less alone now. He couldn't exactly find a therapist to help him through it, he couldn't talk to his family. Who would believe him? UNIT had done a good job of convincing people that it hadn't happened the way they believed, that the world had not watched Canary Wharf being attacked by aliens. Hadn't had Cybermen invade their homes. The only people he could talk to, the only people who would believe him and understand at all were at Torchwood Three.

He had decided to come here, and find a job with Captain Jack Harkness. He was aware how the man felt about Torchwood One, though, and had decided it was best to use what he knew about him to get the job. So he'd used a Rift monitor and tracked the Weevil. He wasn't completely comfortable with flirting with a man, or with anyone really so soon after Lisa, but he'd do what he had to, to get this job.

tbc


	4. Chapter 3

b**Part Three**/b

i_June 2006_/i

This had to work. He needed this job; he couldn't go anywhere else. He knew it wouldn't be easy to convince Jack Harkness to hire him. He was willing to resort to flirting if he had to, but even that might not be enough to overcome the hatred the Captain held for Torchwood One. He had to try, though. He needed to work for Torchwood, he needed to be with people who could understand the things he'd seen, and there was simply no place else. UNIT wasn't an option— he wasn't a soldier—so that left only this.

Ianto stood outside the small tourist office waiting patiently. He'd watched this place long enough to know the Captain would be leaving soon. He just needed to get him to talk to him. He took a deep breath and braced himself as the door opened and Jack walked toward him.

"Morning," he said brightly, extending a mug to Jack. "Coffee?"

Jack eyed the mug suspiciously but took a sip before handing it back. "Wow."

"I want to work for you," Ianto said quickly. He needed this job, there was no point in playing games with it. He'd just be honest.

"Sorry, no vacancies."

"Let me tell you about myself..." Ianto said. Before he could get any further Jack quickly began listing everything he knew about him. Ianto should've realized he would run a background check. Jack was walking away; he couldn't let that happen. "You checked me out," he said, catching up with Jack and moving in front of him so he couldn't get any further.

"You knew what a Weevil was. I thought I was going to have to come deal with you."

"But instead you can see I have the right qualifications for the job."

"There is no job. We have nothing to do with Torchwood London. I severed all links," Jack answered before pushing past him again.

"When it burned, two members of your crew scavenged the ruins." Ianto once again moved to block his path. He needed to get this job.

"I didn't want it getting into the wrong hands."

"Trial period. Three months," Ianto offered. He was desperate. He had nowhere else to go. In three months he could convince Jack to hire him permanently.

"No."

"Three weeks," Ianto suggested. "Three days? Let me prove myself I'll work for nothing."

"No." Jack was once again walking away from him.

"I saw what they did in Canary Wharf," Ianto said, grabbing Jack's shoulder. "What am I supposed to do with those memories?"

"You are not my responsibility," Jack said angrily. "And we're not hiring."

Ianto watched him walk away. Jack Harkness was never going to hire him. He'd lost his only chance. He could try again tomorrow he supposed, but he didn't see it making a difference. It was over. He'd have to find another way of dealing with the memories and the nightmares of what he'd seen. Or another way into Torchwood.

center***/center

Jack's shouldn't have been shocked when the Rift monitor went off, or that the activity seemed to be near the warehouses. The letter had said it would happen. Yet he still had trouble believing it was happening as he drove toward the warehouse. He'd almost picked up the phone and called Ianto Jones when he'd seen where he was headed. He hadn't, though; he still wasn't completely convinced the letter wasn't from Jones. He couldn't see any way the man could've caused Rift activity but he still hesitated to trust him.

He was talking to Suzie as he drove. They weren't sure what was in the warehouse so they needed to be prepared for anything, which was why Suzie and Tosh were back at the Hub, monitoring the CCTV and trying to contact Owen for backup. He hit his brakes as a figure stepped in front of the SUV. Realizing who it was he groaned and got out.

"This has to stop," Jack said angrily.

"No, listen to me," Ianto said softly, not moving as Jack approached him.

"I don't have time have time for this. Look, I don't care what your problem is. I want you out of this city by sunrise. There is no place for you here. Go back to London and find yourself another life. Keep stalking me, I'll wipe your memory," Jack yelled. He really didn't have time to deal with this. He wasn't hiring anyone from Torchwood One. Not just because of some letter that may or may not have been from his future self.

"I need this job," Ianto pleaded. "Where do you suggest I go? Where else other than Torchwood is anyone going to understand what I've seen?"

"I don't know," Jack answered, his voice softening. He did understand what it was like to live with things no one else could understand. It just wasn't going to change his mind. "I can't help you, though."

As he turned to walk back to the SUV Ianto shouted, "So, you aren't going to help me catch this pterodactyl, then?"

"How did you..?"

"Same as you," Ianto answered. "Rift monitor. I wanted to try again to talk to you. to make you understand so I watched until I saw something that I was sure you'd investigate."

"How did you get into the Hub?" Jack asked. "How did you know this would be here tonight?"

Ianto's eyes widened. "I didn't know. I told you, I watched the monitor and saw the heavy activity and came out here. It took you longer to arrive than I would've thought, though. I've been in and seen it already."

Jack frowned. He didn't think Ianto was lying. Every instinct he had was telling him that Ianto Jones was telling him the truth, and that the letter last night had indeed been from his future self. He wished he had bothered to explain the reasons he had to hire this man though.

center***/center

Ianto dropped back onto the hotel bed. He was exhausted; hours spent catching a pterodactyl were not normal for him. He had been an archivist and researcher, not a field agent. He had, however, convinced Captain Jack Harkness to give him a job. Not much of one—he'd basically agreed to be a butler for Torchwood Three-- but he was there.

He still didn't know exactly why he'd been hired. He'd felt the attraction, a fact he was still trying to understand. He wasn't gay...but Jack had said something about fifty-first century pheromones. But no matter what stories he'd heard about Captain Jack Harkness he still found it hard to believe attraction and flirting alone had gotten him this job. Not that it mattered. The important thing was that he was there now. He still couldn't get therapy but he could at least talk to people about what he'd seen, about Lisa. And they'd believe him. He could get something to help with the nightmares and sleep if he needed it. A Torchwood doctor would understand.

center***/center

i_June 2007_/i

Jack quickly climbed the ladder into his office. Seeing the stacks of paperwork piled on his desk, he sighed. This wasn't a good sign. Ianto never let his paperwork get backed up like this. Still, maybe he was on holiday. Seeing Tosh and Gwen sitting on the couch talking he made his way down to them.

"Have either of you seen Ianto?"

Both women looked up in surprise. Jack frowned; asking for Ianto should not make them speechless. "Ianto Jones? You do know him, right?"

"Well, of course we know him, Jack," Gwen answered.

"I haven't seen him since you and I went to visit him," Tosh said, frowning. "Why? Has something happened?"

"Happened? No," Jack said. "Is he on holiday then?"

"Holiday?" Tosh's frown deepened. "Jack, he's..."

"You don't remember?" Gwen asked.

"Remember what?" Jack said, irritably. "Where is Ianto?"

"He's in the hospital. He's been there for months."

"Hospital?"

"Since the..." Gwen said slowly, "Since the cannibals. Remember he just couldn't..."

"He hasn't been the same..." Tosh added.

"Shit," Jack muttered. "I'll be in my office."

Jack slammed his office door closed. He thought he'd fixed things but now Ianto was in the hospital. What had gone wrong this time? He'd gotten him into Torchwood that should've made everything better. Yet somehow it had just gotten worse. He had to find a way to fix it. Did he risk going back again? Leave himself another note? No, that wasn't enough. He needed to find another way.


	5. Chapter 4

b**Part Four**/b

i_June 2007_/i

Jack stood in the doorway of the small hospital room and stared at the figure in the bed. He didn't move, didn't speak. He didn't show any sign he even knew Jack was in the room- or that he even knew where he was, for that matter. Jack slowly moved closer to the bed and sat in the chair, just watching Ianto for several minutes without speaking.

Ianto had made it through so much in his life. He had survived Canary Wharf, he'd survived what had become of his girlfriend. In the timeline Jack remembered, he'd survived cannibals. Now here he was, in a hospital, catatonic, and Jack wasn't sure why. Killing Lisa should've made it better for him, but nothing had gone according to plan. Ianto hadn't been happier without Lisa.

Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto's forehead. He took his hand and sighed.

"I've screwed this all up, haven't I?" he said softly. "I came back for you. I was able to make it through that horrible year because I knew if I did you'd be here, and I had a chance to make your life better. I had a whole year to plan a way to change it so you could be happy. I didn't stay with the Doctor. I wanted to come back but I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to not have to deal with all the grief and guilt over Lisa. I tried to fix it but..."

center***/center

Jack was here; Ianto could hear him speaking. He understood the words even if he couldn't respond. They didn't make sense though. What Doctor? Where had Jack gone? Why was Jack concerned about his happiness? He was his employee, nothing more. They flirted, but that was just the way Jack was. It didn't mean anything. What guilt over Lisa? Grief yes, he'd lost the woman he loved, but he had nothing to feel guilty about. He hadn't killed her.

Jack came here a lot. So did Tosh. He liked it. It made him feel...safe. Not safe enough or he'd be able to...well anything. He'd be able to talk to them. As it was, he couldn't. He could hear them, but that was it. He wasn't able to communicate with them. Just sit here and listen...in his own mind...where he was safe from all the horrors Torchwood had to offer.

Still, he liked them being here. Gwen and Owen too, but they didn't visit nearly as often. When he had company it was better. When he had company he didn't have to listen to his own thoughts nearly as much. Jack and Tosh talking to him kept the nightmares away. Nightmares that had nearly stopped until Jack decided he needed to be in the field more.

The nightmares had started after Canary Wharf. Daleks, Cybermen, the Doctor, all the death and destruction, and the Void...it had all been so horrible. And being one of so few to survive meant he'd had no one to talk to. He'd thought working for Torchwood Three would help. He'd have people around him who understood. He hadn't fit in, though, not really. Suzie and Owen had been suspicious of his sudden appearance. Tosh was, well Tosh, and she had been nice but he hadn't wanted to burden her with the horrors he'd seen, so he'd kept it to himself. Gotten Owen to give him sleeping pills occasionally. He'd learned to deal with the nightmares. To block out the crying and pleading, the death and destruction he saw every time he'd closed his eyes. He'd let the fact that he was working every day to stop anyone else from having to go through it keep him going.

Then Jack had said he'd needed to get out of the Hub more. Be a part of the team. Jack had insisted he go to the Brecon Beacons with them. Simple field assignment. Probably nothing. A few suspicious deaths, but no Rift activity. No danger at all. The SUV was stolen, and Tosh disappeared. Then he'd been taken. All the blood and body parts and...

In so many ways it was worse than Canary Wharf. The monsters this time weren't aliens they were people. Cannibals. He'd nearly been eaten by Cannibals. Tosh had nearly died because he wasn't strong enough to save them. He'd been beaten and bloody and he just couldn't take anymore. He'd stopped fighting. Stopped doing anything. He wasn't dead, Jack had saved them in time, but he wasn't himself either.

He just stayed here, with his thoughts and nightmares, where it was safe. The hospital was safe from the things that Torchwood faced. It was better, even with the constant nightmares.

But now Jack was talking to him. Telling him this was wrong. It wasn't supposed to be this way. He'd done something to change things. He'd tried to make him happy but had made it worse. He was promising to fix everything. He said he'd make it better.

Was Jack going to find a way to give him retcon? Erase his memory of the cannibals? Would he go back far enough to erase Canary Wharf? Did he want that? It would mean forgetting Lisa...but it would also mean no nightmares.

Would retcon even work on him? Could you give it to someone who was trapped like he was? Would it let him come back and live in the world again? Or would it leave him without memories but still trapped?

center***/center

"I promise I'll find a way to make this better, Ianto," Jack said once more. He stood up and kissed his head again before walking out of the room.

He would fix this. He was not going to let Ianto stay like this. Another letter wouldn't work though. He needed to do something more drastic. Something to guarantee things were sorted properly. He couldn't leave cryptic messages and hope his past self acted accordingly. He needed help for this.

He ran down the steps and out the door to the SUV as quickly as he could. As soon as he sat down, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number. He tapped his fingers on the dashboard as he waited impatiently for an answer.

"I need your help," he said as soon as he heard the voice on the other end.

Tbc.


	6. Chapter 5

b**Part Five**/b

iJune 2007/i

"No."

"Please," Jack begged. "There's no other way. I have to fix this."

"You wanted to change one thing, Jack," the Doctor answered. "Just one small thing, that would've happened anyway, you said. Remember? Now you have to live with the changes you've made."

"I can't live with them. I can't live with Ianto being in a hospital because I screwed things up."

"What makes you think this will fix it?"

"Because it has to."

"No. I am not helping you do this," the Doctor said, frowning. "You don't know what will happen. There's no way to do this without causing a problem. I can take the past you away, but then I'll end up returning him with no memories of what happened during the time he was gone. It won't work."

"I thought of that, and I have this," Jack said. He grinned as he held an object up for the Doctor to see. "If I keep it with me it'll record my memories, then we just need to transfer them to him."

"And the fact that you shouldn't find me for several months after this?"

"Retcon."

"Jack..."

"Please..."

center***/center

iSeptember 2006/i

"Looks like as good a place as any to set up camp," Jack said, looking around their surroundings. He hated bringing them here, knowing what was waiting for them. He had to do it, though. Torchwood was supposed to investigate this, and he wasn't supposed to know it wasn't an alien at work. All he could do was try his best to make sure things happened just differently enough to save Ianto.

"Sorry, did you say camp?"

Dealing with Owen's desperate hatred of camping and the outdoors in general was something Jack had been dreading even more than facing those...monsters again. Nothing he could do about it, of course; to leave Owen behind would've changed the timeline too much. At least everyone else would make the best of it. No one was happy about it but Ianto, Tosh, and Gwen were at least trying to be pleasant.

center***/center

A few hours later they were all standing over the body in the woods. Everything had gone just as it had before, except for the awkwardness of Ianto's response to Gwen's question about snogging. There was still some uneasiness because they all knew who Lisa was, but not the guilt from before. Not for anyone but Jack, because the others had played no part in Lisa's death this time.

"Cause of death?" Jack asked.

Jack wasn't really listening to Owen's answer; his attention was on Ianto, who was methodically wrapping caution tape around the trees. Then he heard the SUV in the distance.

"Is that ours?" Tosh asked.

"Yes," Jack sighed, as they all ran back toward camp. "Didn't I remind you, more than once to get the keys, Owen?"

"Sorry."

center***/center

They needed to split up. It'd be safer if they stayed together but Jack knew it wouldn't work. He needed the cannibals to reveal themselves, and they wouldn't, not when the five of them were together. They were deranged, not stupid. They couldn't take on five armed people at once. Jack briefly considered just leading the others to where the cannibals were hiding, to where they were storing their victims, but he doubted anyone was there now. They were too busy trying to trap them, so they needed to do this at least somewhat the way they did before.

Jack looked at his team. He'd made a horrible mistake the first time they did this. He'd sent Ianto and Tosh off alone. He had believed he was sending them on a safe mission—find and retrieve the SUV, no danger. He'd believed the danger was in the buildings so he'd simply sent his tech people off on their own. He knew the right thing to do was to let it all play out as it had before, and just be there for Ianto later, when they returned home, but he couldn't do it.

"Owen, Gwen, see if there's any room at the inn," Jack said finally, making a decision. "Tosh, Ianto, with me, we'll follow the signal."

They split up, walking in opposite directions. Jack stopped, realizing he'd forgotten something. He turned back to Owen and Gwen. "Stay together...and be careful!" he yelled. He wanted to warn them, tell them that a frightened, armed kid was in one of the homes, but he couldn't. He needed to let things happen the way they were meant to.

center***/center

"It's just half a mile up here," Ianto said, checking the PDA once more.

Tosh grabbed the PDA from Ianto's hand. "Least we still have this," she grumbled. "Rest of my stuff was in the vehicle."

Jack and Ianto exchanged looks as Tosh stormed off ahead of them, both men trying desperately not to laugh at Tosh's angry grumbling. All three froze in place as a scream sounded in the distance.

"What was that?" Tosh asked, looking around.

"Just a...fox or something," Ianto said looking around as well.

Jack remained silent. It wasn't a fox, that much he was sure of, although he wasn't sure who it was. It could be Gwen; if everything was going as it had before, she would be shot. It didn't sound like her, though. And if it was, she would be fine. It was Owen she needed with her, not him, anyway. She needed a doctor and she had one. It was Ianto and Tosh who needed his help and his attention right now.

"I'm sure it's..." He looked around him, and realized he was alone. Tosh and Ianto were gone, must have left while he was lost in his thoughts. He needed to find them, now, before...Another scream rang through the air, this one he recognized as Ianto's voice. He was too late...He started running toward the sound of the scream. If Ianto was taken so was Tosh, and he'd failed. He'd let them down. He needed to fix this.

Jack ran toward the main building in the village, the one where he'd found everyone before. As he ran he knew they wouldn't be there, not yet. Ianto and Tosh had said they'd been held in a cellar of some kind first, until the villagers were ready for them. They had no idea how long, though, just that they had been there when they woke and then moved when it was...time. He had to try, though. It was the best he could do.

He reached the building quickly. Gun in hand, he pushed the door open and peered inside. Just as he thought, empty. It was too early. He walked out; staying wouldn't help Ianto. If they saw him in there they'd find a new place to...He'd have to start searching for them. Maybe force these...people to make a move early. He'd need back-up, though. He had to go back and get Owen and Gwen...

center***/center

Why couldn't anything go according to plan? They weren't in the house he'd thought they'd be in. They had been there, but it looked like they'd left already...or were taken. It was getting dark, time to go back for Ianto and Tosh. By the time he got there, Owen and Gwen would probably be there too. He really didn't doubt that they'd once again be caught as well.

center***/center

A few hours later, they were all gathered around an ambulance as the villagers were being taken away and medics treated Gwen, Tosh and Ianto's injuries, Owen hovering over the women as Jack stood as close as he could to Ianto. He'd come back and risked so much to prevent Ianto from going through this again and he'd failed. On the Bright side Ianto was speaking. He was definitely in shock but he was speaking to them. Jack just needed to make sure he kept it that way.

"All three of you need to go to hospital," one of the medics said, pulling Jack from his thoughts.

"No," came the reply from all three.

"I'm a doctor," Owen offered. "I'll make sure they're all okay. No one will be left alone tonight."

"That's right," Jack agreed. "We'll make sure they're okay. First sign of a problem and we'll get them to A&E."

"I really think..."

"They don't want to go," Owen pointed out. "You can't force them."

"Fine, but these two," the medic motioned toward Tosh and Ianto, "really need to be watched for at least a couple of days."

"They will be," Jack assured him.

They waited for the ambulance and police cars to leave before helping Ianto, Gwen and Tosh into the back of the SUV, then Jack and Owen climbed into the front. As they headed back toward Cardiff the five of them began to argue over the arrangements that would need to be made to follow the medic's orders.

"I have Rhys," Gwen insisted. "He'll be with me tonight. I'll be fine."

"I'll be fine on my own," Ianto said quietly. "I just want to sleep."

"No," Jack said startling everyone.

"I just need sleep, sir," Ianto insisted. "I will be in for work in the morning."

"No," Jack said again. "You need to take time off to heal. Tosh as well."

"I have to agree with Jack," Owen said. "Neither of you should be at work for at least a few days."

"Tosh can stay with me," Gwen offered.

"Fine, and I'll stay with Ianto," Jack agreed.

"I don't want to be a bother," Tosh protested.

"And I don't want a babysitter," Ianto insisted.

"Tosh your choices are staying with Gwen for a couple days, or Owen staying at your place," Jack said, cutting off anymore arguments. "Ianto, your options are me or Owen."

"Fine," Tosh said sullenly. "I'll just need to stop off at home and pick up some things."

"Right then, I guess I choose Jack," Ianto said resignedly.

"Why do I suddenly feel very insulted?" Owen said, frowning.

TBC.


End file.
